Dovizioso: We should be very competitive

For Ducati to have a glimmer of hope of applying title pressure on Marc Marquez, they realistically need a repeat last year's defeat of the Honda rider in the next two MotoGP rounds at Brno and Red Bull Ring.

But Danilo Petrucci only narrowly prevented Marquez winning on their favoured home ground at Mugello this year, after which both Petrucci and Andrea Dovizioso were beaten by the Spaniard at the next three rounds.

While Marquez scored 70 out of a possible 75 points in Catalunya, Assen and Sachsenring, Petrucci managed 39 points and Dovizioso just 24 (having been taken out in Catalunya).

All of which put Marquez 58-points clear of nearest rival Dovizioso at the start of the summer break and meant a downcast mood at Ducati, with Dovizioso calling for a new 'strategy' to finally address the cornering limitations of the bike, which he feels can no longer be masked by straight-line performance.

“I think it’s six years I’ve been speaking about [turning]… Now we arrive in a critical moment when we need [better turning] because the competitors have become better and better," he explained.

“It’s clear when we fight with other bikes, also on the TV you can see the difference in the middle of the corners. I think we need a strategy for the future and to be focussed more on that than other things because we lose too much in that point."

But as he heads for Brno, Dovizioso said the three-weekend break has allowed 'perspective' and the need to 'stay positive' ahead of some strong Ducati tracks.

"The summer break is always a good time to recharge and put things into perspective," said Dovizioso, who hasn't won since the Qatar season-opener.

"Despite the fact that our position on the finish line at Assen and Sachsenring was acceptable, our feeling on the bike wasn't been the best in those circuits.

"Without a doubt, we need to stay positive in this moment: we've worked hard under each aspect during these three weeks and we're ready to tackle the second half of the season with great motivation.

"We'll race on tracks where we should be very competitive and able to show our full potential."

Dovi held off then team-mate Jorge Lorenzo by just 0.178s for victory in the Czech Republic last season, with Marquez completing a podium covered by a mere 0.368s.

Petrucci, now just six points behind Dovizioso in the standings, finished in sixth place (+3.768s) as a Pramac rider. The Italian, who had echoed much of Dovizioso's concerns, said he 'can't wait to try some upgrades'.

"After some nice holidays I can't wait to get back on the bike," Petrucci began. "I like Brno as a track, and the Desmosedici GP has always been quite competitive there, last year in particular. I finished sixth in that race, but only three seconds behind the winner, and I think this weekend we'll have another good chance to achieve a strong result.

"Our team has been working hard at home to move forward with the development, and I can't wait to try some upgrades. It'll be important to restart on a positive note because after the summer break sometimes the scenario often changes and we want to show we're ready for the second half of the championship."

While Marquez and Honda lead the riders' and constructors' titles, the Ducati Team holds a 38-point lead over Repsol Honda in the teams' standings.